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Nelissen turned professional in 1991, aged nineteen, with the Weinmann team, switching to Peter Post’s Panasonic (which became Novemail) in 1992. Known as Jerommeke, Nelissen came to prominence during his first year under Post: a win at Paris–Bourges, two stages at the Tour of Switzerland, two at the Dauphiné Libéré. In 1993 he won the early-season semi-classic, Het Volk, to ensure his celebrity status in his native land, especially in Flanders.

Nelissen’s nickname, Jerommeke, meant nothing to anybody outside Belgium. ‘Jerommeke is a cartoon character, with unlimited strength and speed,’ explains Jan-Pieter de Vlieger, a journalist with Belgium’s top daily, Het Nieuwsblad. ‘He featured in the Suske and Wiske series, Belgium’s most popular comic books, by Willy Vandersteen, the acclaimed cartoonist.’ Sometimes you see the Jerommeke nickname suffixed with ‘Woefie’ – the sound a dog makes? De Vlieger isn’t sure. He sends a picture of Jerommeke: like a Belgian Desperate Dan, without the cowboy outfit. Beyond Flanders, Nelissen acquired another name: the Bulldog. To his team-mates, meanwhile, he was Willie.